Binhi – when a seed of an idea grows into good food compassionate business.
It all started with an idea. Two best friends who shared the desire to help people and the environment came up with a seed of an idea.
The word "binhi" is derived from the Filipino word that means seed. Like a seed, my best friend Triah De Vega and I believe that everything starts with something small. And just like a seed, we start with ourselves in doing what we can to make a positive change in the world.
Our passion for cooking and a peaceful way of living led us to create a unique food service that not only brings awareness to veganism and vegetarianism but also lets people know how easy it is to make the healthy lifestyle change that benefits life – your own life as well as that of the earth.
Veganism is a striking concept for most people. Questions that usually pop up when people find out we’re vegan: "Where do you get your protein?" "Do you eat salad all the time?" "What about the good stuff like burgers and pizza?" People think we are hungry all the time! What people don’t realise is that with enough creativity, you can reinvent recipes without using products that harm the environment. Veganism is a sustainable way of life that allows us to look after ourselves as well as the earth. It’s not just food its a lifestyle on how you can make yourself sustainable. Means bringing own containers, buying products that is not made out of plastic and reusing it as much as possible.
We were challenged by the seemingly huge task of creating awareness of this novel way of living. We wanted a fun way to debunk the notion that being a vegan or vegetarian means constant unhappiness and deprivation.
That was how Binhi was born.
Binhi is a small food truck that caters vegan and vegetarian food in Dasmariñas, Cavite, south of Manila.
Our menu features typical food fare like pizza, pasta, mojos and more. These are some of the consistent food supplies that are not affected by seasonal changes. We get our products in the local marketplace and we also grow some of the herbs we use. We embrace the "farm to table" movement because we believe that fresh food creates a special bond between people and the environment.
Our shift into a plant based diet greatly reduced our carbon footprint which gave us the drive to create this business. Scientific studies show that 51% of the greenhouse gases comes from factory farms and also cuts out hectares of the forest to build it. [ https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-environment ] Greenhouse gases also consume a large amount of fresh water (more than what human beings consume) and also dumps their toxic wastes into our rivers making its way to our oceans. Not only that! 71% of chronic diseases comes from meat, specifically because of the unhealthy production and mutation of our farm animals.
We practice zero-waste at Binhi. We bring our own bags and containers whenever we buy our supplies and also make some of our food from scratch. We encourage people to bring their own food containers for take outs and give them discounts to reward them. By this method we're not only lessening the plastic waste that go into rivers and oceans but also encourage people to start new earth-friendly habits.
We are the generation that will experience the dangers of climate change and we need to act now to experience the paradise our world has to offer.
We feel fortunate to be part of The Backyard Food Truck Community where start-up artists and entrepreneurs incubate their ideas and develop their talents. It feels good to be surrounded by people who share and respect different ideas and support one another. We are inspired by this community where members learn from each other. Without the support from our family and friends we would not be able to pull this idea off. That's why it's really healthy if you take care of yourself not only on the outside but also on the inside.
Photos by Gian Ortega and Cookie Bacalla
Edited by Triah De Vega of Binhi and Mai Tatoy of Our Better World
